1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for conveying articles from one location to one of a plurality of other locations in a large building. In particular, although not necessarily limited thereto, this invention may be used in a hospital to convey charts, slips, medicine, and other miscellaneous articles from a first location or department to a second designated location or department in the hospital.
2. Description of the Related Art
Copending U.S. application Ser. No. 938,644 to Matsuo et al., and assigned to Toshiba K.K. was filed on Dec. 5, 1986, and discloses an apparatus for conveying carrier cases containing articles. The apparatus comprises a main conveyance path and a plurality of branch conveyance paths extending therefrom. Each branch conveyance path includes a pair of vertically displaced conveying belts which extend downwardly to a supply section and a receipt section. One of the vertical conveying belts conveys carrier cases downwardly from the main conveyance path to the receipt section and the other conveying belt conveys carrier cases supplied to the apparatus at the supply section upwardly to the main conveyance path. A lateral conveying belt is provided orthogonally to the lower end portions of the vertical conveying belts within the receipt section and the supply section. When a carrier case arrives at the receipt section via the first vertical conveying belt, the lateral conveyor belt conveys the carrier cases forwardly in the receipt section. When a carrier case is placed in the supply section, the lateral conveying belt is reversed to convey the carrier cases back towards the second vertical conveyor belt onto which it is transferred. The articles are conveyed within the carrier cases at high speed with little noise through the system. Since the articles are contained in carrier cases, they are transferred in a very stable manner.
The apparatus discussed above is subject to a decrease in efficiency of operation of the system as a whole if a malfunction occurs at any one of the branch conveyance paths.